


if you don't, don't

by zannen



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 19:36:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zannen/pseuds/zannen
Summary: “Sorry, this wasn’t—I didn’t—you know what, I dialed your number on accident, but who cares,” he says. “You’re a dick, and I’d be agreatboyfriend.”





	if you don't, don't

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: _things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear._
> 
> I haven't posted something in nearly a month, so here's a cross-post from [Tumblr](http://sweater-soo.tumblr.com/) to let you know I'm not dead!

_Of course I do. That doesn’t mean we would be good together._

He slumps down a bit more against the balcony railing, holding himself up on one arm while the other hangs loosely, the half-empty bottle of Hite in his hand clinking against metal. Kyungsoo would probably tell him not to do that, he’ll drop it, it’ll fall and shatter into a million pieces and who’s going to clean it up, Baekhyun? You, when you’re already drunk and clumsy? This is why you shouldn’t—

Baekhyun hunches down even further, trying to retreat into himself. That’s not fair, he thinks. Kyungsoo isn’t that mean. Not intentionally. He’s lovely most of the time, kind and sweet and considerate. Sometimes a bit too blunt, but nobody’s perfect. Baekhyun is just projecting, just being irrational because his dumb feelings are a little hurt, maybe.

Besides, this isn’t unrequited love or anything, not really. It’s just—

He had a drink each hand as he went to look for Kyungsoo and Minseok—not booze, but tea, because they were both born elderly and never drank past a certain point or time on a weeknight. The door to one of the bedrooms was cracked, just a sliver, and he could hear voices on the other side. He crept over and leaned in, listening closely, and then someone—Kyungsoo, with a not-insignificant amount of frustration in his tone—said Baekhyun’s name, followed by an incoherent murmur.

“So you do have feelings for him,” Minseok had said just on the other side of the door, while Baekhyun froze, eyes wide and breath caught in his throat as he waited for the answer.

“Of course I do,” Kyungsoo had replied. “That doesn’t mean—”

Maybe he’s right, Baekhyun thinks. Maybe they wouldn’t be a good match. It’s probably better this way.

“Why doesn’t he wanna be with me?” he slurs into the phone a beer and a half later, sniffling. “Is it ‘cause I’m too emotional? Is that it?”

There’s a pause before he hears Kyungsoo say, “Baekhyun?”

Oh. Fuck. “Sorry, this wasn’t—I didn’t—you know what, I dialed your number on accident, but who cares,” he says. “You’re a dick, and I’d be a _great_ boyfriend.”

Another pause. “Um. Hold on.” His voice is muffled for a second, like he’s covering the speaker, and all Baekhyun can make out is _take care of something_ before Kyungsoo returns at full volume. “I think we need to talk. Where are you?”

“In a bottomless pool of misery,” Baekhyun mumbles, picking at a spot on his wall where the paint has started to peel a bit.

Kyungsoo sighs. “I’m heading to your apartment,” he says. Something jingles in the background. Keys, maybe.

“I’m not there,” Baekhyun lies.

“Then I’ll wait there for you to get back.”

“Fine. Well.” He considers saying something else, but just snaps his mouth shut and hangs up. “I won’t answer the door,” he says to the wall. “He can just wait out there forever, I’m not letting him in.”

Except half an hour later, there are keys twisting in the lock, and the click of the door opening, because right, yeah, he gave his spare set of keys to Kyungsoo, because he loves and trusts him more than anything, because he’s an idiot.

Kyungsoo appears in front of Baekhyun, who just glares up at him stubbornly, and sighs. “Why are you on the floor?”

“I’m sulking,” says Baekhyun.

“Can I ask why?”

“You don’t wanna date me. I’m un-dateable.” Baekhyun tries to blow his hair away from his eyes, fails, and lets out a huff. “Whatever. It’s fine.”

Kyungsoo looks surprised for a moment, then frowns. “Who said I didn’t want to date you?”

“You did.”

The frown deepens. “I really don’t think I did,” Kyungsoo says slowly. “Was I there for this conversation? Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Baekhyun grumbles. “I heard you talking to Minseok-hyung at the housewarming thing. About how we wouldn’t—be good together. And shit.”

Kyungsoo sinks down to join Baekhyun on the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of him. His expression is somber. He leans forward a little, balancing with his elbows on his thighs. Baekhyun gives up on glaring and just stares fixedly down at the floor instead.

“You heard that,” Kyungsoo says, not quite a question.

“Yep.”

“Did you also hear the part where I said that I’m a shitty boyfriend who’s bad at prioritizing my relationships over my career, and that I don’t want you to end up hating me because I don’t know what I’d do without you, Baekhyun?”

In his state of shock, Baekhyun hadn’t picked up much of anything they said after that; he’d been too overwhelmed by the nauseating feeling brought on by terrible rejection. He shakes his head.

“There’s a reason I didn’t say any of this to you,” says Kyungsoo. “It wasn’t a conversation I thought we should have. I already knew how you felt—or I could guess—and I thought if you knew how _I_ felt—if you knew that I—” He makes a frustrated noise. “I don’t know how to say this. I don’t want to upset you.”

“Say it anyway, it doesn’t matter,” says Baekhyun, heart clenching in what could be either anticipation or dread, or a terrible combination of the two.

Kyungsoo lets out a heavy breath. “If you knew I felt the same way, you’d—have expectations,” he says. “I didn’t want to have to say we shouldn’t be together. It’s a shitty thing for anyone to hear. So I thought it would be better if you didn’t know.”

“Well.” Baekhyun sniffs. “Maybe you shouldn’t’ve been talking about it where people could overhear.”

“I know. You’re right. But I was frustrated and had to vent to someone.”

Baekhyun purses his lips, then finally looks up and asks, “Frustrated about what?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “Everything. Nothing. It’s just harder some days, not for any real reason.” Now he’s the one who ducks his head, gazing down at his hands and fidgeting. “Sometimes it’s something silly, like you wearing a nice shirt or changing your hair color. Or doing something cute to be annoying, except it isn’t annoying at all. And I get so—” He takes another deep breath, then sighs. “I don’t want to take the risk that I might not be good for you, Baekhyun.”

Not sure what to say at first, and still not sober enough to articulate himself perfectly, Baekhyun just reaches forward, puts a hand over Kyungsoo’s still-fidgeting ones. He rubs his thumb over the back of one of Kyungsoo’s hands and his heart aches more than a little bit.

“Thank you,” he says quietly, “for wanting to protect me.” He turns Kyungsoo’s hand over to take hold of it and finds himself meeting no resistance. His other hand finds its way to Kyungsoo’s neck, pulling him a bit closer as Baekhyun presses his lips to his forehead in a brief kiss that makes Kyungsoo seem to deflate a little. “But you don’t have to.”

Kyungsoo squeezes his hand. “I’m glad you’re drunk,” he says. “If you were sober I might do something stupid, like kiss you.”

“I’m glad I’m drunk, too, ‘cause otherwise I’d be too nervous to say I really like you and I think we should give the boyfriend thing a chance anyway. If you want,” he adds. “I mean I won’t—make you.”

Kyungsoo hums. “We can talk about it more later,” he says. “Call me tomorrow. We’ll—figure something out.” Another squeeze. “I have to go, though.”

That jogs something in Baekhyun’s memory. “Yeah, actually, weren’t you with someone when I called?”

“Yeah. My parents are in town and they dropped by for dinner. I had to leave them with Chanyeol so I could come over here. But they love him, so they’ve probably adopted him and forgotten about me by now anyway.” He starts to get to his feet, hesitates, and holds Baekhyun’s hand up to press a kiss to his knuckles. “There. That’s all you’re getting for now.”

“That’s so lame,” Baekhyun croaks, blushing so fiercely he thinks he’ll catch fire. He watches Kyungsoo leave, then slumps face-first onto the floor and laughs, just a little bit delirious.


End file.
